Pre-K Institute

Last year’s Pre-K Institute was a game-changer for the teachers who attended, so it is back by popular demand. This institute will focus on the Project’s latest thinking around Pre-K. Presenters will help you see how you can weave support for literacy development into your children’s days, including into their play time. You’ll also learn how to make the work you do to support literacy be as energetic, fun, and helpful as possible.

As part of this, you will learn how to plan for ways in which your read alouds can be a cornerstone of your classroom instruction. You’ ll hear about our latest and greatest books, but more than that, you’ ll hear ways to bring these books into all corners of the school day. How can books enrich block time? Recess?

At the TCRWP, we’ve built upon an approach that Elizabeth Sulzby developed (and Marie Clay endorsed) for helping kids to approximate-read some of the books that we’ve read aloud repeatedly . You’ ll hear about the vital importance of this work, and hear especially about the ways in which this allows kids to role play their way into being the readers they long to become. As kids pretend-read the books they are coming to know by heart, you can assess their concepts of print and knowledge of story, and help them to rely on both in order to relive Harry the Dirty Dog and The Three Little Pigs. This work is magical, and you’ll enjoy learning the fine-tuned details of how to do this extremely well.

You’ll also have a chance to learn about how shared reading can be used to support the development of meaning- making, language skills and phonological awareness. Presenters will coach you as you plan and practice a series of shared reading lessons, focusing on different skills across the sessions. You’ ll consider ways to enrich your children’ s vocabulary through this work.

There is nothing more child-centered than the writing workshop. You’ll get practical nuts and bolts help making your writing workshop work for very young children. As part of this, you’ll address the importance of drawing and oral storytelling as well as of writing. In any good writing workshop, there are countless opportunities for rich language development as kids talk, draw, and write, and the presenters will give you concrete strategies and coaching prompts to help your young writers say and do even more. You will also learn new ways of using blocks for more than building, so that students are provided with problem-solving opportunities as they plan and carry out projects while incorporating literacy connections, including making signs, maps, blueprints, and books.

You’ll hear practical advice for monitoring and recording children’s work, as well as ways to use these observations to make adaptations and modifications that help you meet the needs of every child in your room. Listening to children’s talk, as well as observing their interactions with books, materials, and one another can give you a window into their lives and help you plan for their learning with intention and flexibility.

You will leave confident about how best to support language and literacy development at the Pre-K level, all the while having tons of fun learning alongside other teachers dedicated to providing young children with excellent school experiences!

Cost

$650/$600 NYC DOE

Where

This institute will take place at the Teachers College campus.
Teachers College, Columbia University
525 W 120th Street
New York, NY
212-678-3104